Belt-cleaning device



March 12, 1929. LUNN 1,704,750

BELT CLEANING DEVICE Filed July so, 1925 Patented Mar. 12,1929,

were err-s, ecu.) v

nnnnsrnnmtor onrcaeo, ILLINOIS, .assrenert so Penman-can nun MANUFAe TUBING oonronnrrorr, or orrroeeo, rumors, a oonrona'rron or rumors.

. BELT-CLEANING- ionvrcn.v

Application filed' July 30, 1925. Serial- No. 46,954.

This inventionrelates to -belt cleaning de-v vices and more particularly to-the rotating type of belt cleaners. V J

. On of the objects of the'invention is the provision of new and improved means for removing foreign matter such as snow, ice and the like from transmission belts.

, Another object of the invention is the provision .of new and improved means for mounting the belt cleaner in such a manner that the same will be held in a fixed relation in proximity to the belt in all positions that the belt may assume.

A further object of the invention is the provision of new and improved belt cleaning mechanism that is cheap to manufacture, easily assembled, composed of few parts, that is eflici'ent' in operation, simple in construction and that is not likely to become broken or get out of order. X

Other and further objects and advantages of t 1e invention will appear from the followingdeseription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which. I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a railway car showing the invention in position thereon;

Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof; 1

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of a railway car, showing a modified form of the invention in position thereon; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof.

Generators for electric lights for railway trains are usually mounted beneath the cars and are driven from the car axles by means of a belt and pulley drive. The belt being exposed is likely to accumulate more'or less foreign matter thereon durin use, especially during the winter time when .snow and ice are prevalent. During a snowstorm, for

instance, the motion of thetrain will cause eddy currents of air to carry snow beneath the car, some of which will be deposited on the moving belt. The passing of the belt about the pulley will compress the snow and convert the same into ice, which will cause a serious slippage of the belt with a corresponding decrease in the efficiency of the generator. The present invention seeks to remedy these defects by providing means for removing foreign matter from the belt while the same is in motion. On the drawing the reference character designates a portion of a railway car beneath which is mounted the generator 11 for furnishing electricity to the car for operatmg the lights, the fan, and the like. The generator is operated from the car axle by armature shaft 145 in the usual manner.

.SIIICG the caraxles'move ,angularly more or less relatively to the body of thecar on curves, the tension of the belt 12 will vary unless means be provided for automatically tensioning the belt. 'As shown,- thegenerator is provided with one or more rigid arms 15 which are pivoted to the underframe of the car 10 as at 16. The pivot 16 falls without the vertical plane of the armature shaft whereby the weight of the generator will maintain the belt suffieiently taut for operating the armature, and will, at the same time, permit relative angular movement of the axle and car. I

The device for cleaning the belt comprises a cleaner member which in the present invention is in the form of a circular brush 17 rotatably mounted in proximity to the sur-v face of the belt. 7 p

It is desirable that the cleaner be held in close proximity to, but out of contact with, the belt so, thatwhen ice, snow and the like begin topile up on the belt the cleaner will remove the same without coming in contact with the, belt and causing undue wear, on the same. Suitable means are provided for causing the cleaner to move in unison-with T the angular movement of the generator about its pivot 16 for maintaining substantially the same relative position of the'belt and cleaner.

In the form ofthe device selected to illustrate one embodiment of -the invention, attaching members or journal plates18 are socured to the frame work 19 of the car, a sup porting rod 21 is journaled in the attaching members or journal plates 18 and has rigidly attached thereto supporting means or arms 22 and 23. A shaft is rotatably mounted in the lower ends of the supporting means 23 and the brush 1? is rigidly mounted on said shaft. The arms 22 and 23 are bent so that the shaft 20 extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the belt, as I clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

. a belt 12 engaging about the pulley 13 on the V In order to cause the brush 17 to remain in proximity to the belt 12 during the pivotal movement of the generatorll about its pivot 16 a crank arm 25 is mounted on one end of [arranged that as thegenerator 11 moves about its pivot 16, due to the movement of the axle relative to the car frame on curves and the like, the link 26 will cause a corresponding movement of the brush 17..

The lower ends of the arms 22 and 23 may, if desired, be provided with slots iirwhich are slidably mounted journal blocks 28 in which the shaft 20 is journaled. The blocks 28 may be supported by springs 29 the tension of which may be regulated by set screws 31.

In the form of thedevice shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the supporting arms 33 and 34- are rigidly attached tot-he underframe 19 0f the car, and their lower ends are provided with slots 30 in which. are mounted journal blocks 35. in which a shaft 36 carrying the cleaner member or brush 17 is journaled. The supporting members or arms 33 and 34 are so arranged that the shaft 36 of the cleaner member 17 extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the belt. The blocks 35 are supported by springs 37 the tension of which may be adjusted by set screws 38.

In. both forms of the device the belt cleaner member 17 is so mounted thatwhen ice, snow or other foreign matter collects on the belt it will remove the same along the longitudinal center line of the belt. It is found by experiment that this is su'fiicient, especially where the barrel type or crowned pulleys are employed, as shown in the drawmg. a p It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that various changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. I I clai m as my invention: I I

1. In combination, a driven pulley, a belt for driving said pulley, saidpulley being mounted on a pivoted arm, a belt cleaner,

and means for mounting said cleaner adjacent to the inner surface of said belt and for automatically maintaining the same contiguous to said belt in any positionof said arm, the axis of said means being arranged at. an'angl'e to'the plane of said belt.

2. In combination, a driven pulley, a pivoted arm for mounting said pulley, a belt for said pulley, a belt cleaner, means for mounting said cleaner in proximity to said belt and means independent of said first named meansfor automatically adjusting said cleaner when said arm is adjusted.

3. In. combination, av driven. pulley, a pivoted arm'.' for mounting said pulley, afbelt for said pulley, a belt cleaner, means for mounting said cleaner in proximity to said belt and means 0 eratively connected to said arm for automatically adjusting said cleaner when said arm is adjusted.

4;. A belt cleaner attachment comprising an attaching member, supporting means pivotally connected to said attaching member, a belt cleaner rotatably mounted: in said. supporting means, and an adjusting link pi.v otally connected to said supporting means.

5. In combination, a car frame, a generator, a belt for operating said generator from a car axle, means for movably supporting said generator from sald frame so that the same may move in the arc of a circle to com- I pensa-te for the turning of' the car axlerelative to the frame, a belt cleaner, means for supporting said cleaner in juxtaposition to v the inner surface of said belt and means for holding said cleaner 1n fixed relatlon to said belt in all positions of said generator.

6; A belt cleaner attachment for generators comprising a hanger means adapted-to be pivotally connected to a car frame, a positioning link pivotally connected tosaid hanger means and having its free end adapted to be connected to said generator and a beltrcleaner member rotatablymounted on one end of sald hanger means.

7. In combination, a car frame, a driven pulley, means pivotally connected to said frame for mounting said pulley beneath said frame, a belt for operating said pulley, a 7

rotating bel t cleaner, and means for yieldably mounting sald cleaner on said frame at :an angle to the plane of saidbelt, whereby the brushv will remain inthe same relative position to said belt in all positions of said pulley and will remove foreign matter from said belt. I

8. In. combination, a driven pulley,movable means for mounting said pulley, a belt for said pulley, a belt cleaner, means for movably mounting said cleaner adjacent to the inner surface of said belt, and means independent of said last named means for automatically maintaining said cleaner in proximity to said belt in all positions of said first named means. I

In testimony'whereof I afiix my signature.

ERNEST LIJNN 

